Rembrandt(1606-1669), was The Netherlands' greatest artist. Rembrandt's
output was tremendous. Scholars credit him with about 600 paintings, 300
etchings, and 1,400 drawings. Many other wrote almost nothing about his
art. The range of Rembrandt's subjects is extraordinary. His works include
landscapes, nudes, portraits, scenes of everyday life, animals and birds,
historical and mythological subjects, and works inspired by stories from
the Old and New Testaments. Throughout his career, Rembrandt also made
about 100 known portraits of himself. They form a unique autobiography.
Rembrandt's reputation rests on his power as a storyteller, his warm
sympathy, and his ability to show the innermost feelings of the people he
portrayed. His use of light and shadow creates an atmosphere that enables
us to share his sensitive response to nature and profound understanding of
man's inner life. Few artists match his genius for showing the human
aspect of Biblical characters. He was equally capable of suggesting the
divine spark which rests in every man.

Early
Years

Rembrandt was born in
Leiden on July 15, 1606. His full name was Rembrandt Harmenszoon van
Rijn. He first studied with Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam. About 1625,
Rembrandt returned to Leiden to paint on his own.

Leiden years: 1625-1631

Most of Rembrandt's early works are small, precisely finished pictures of
Biblical and historical subjects. The influence of last man can be seen in
the lively gestures and expressions of his figures and in his vivid colors
and glossy paint. However, Rembrandt rapidly
surpassed his teacher's
ability to tella story. He also used light and shadow better than anyone
else to heighten the drama of his works. Light and shadow became
Rembrandt's principal means of pictorial expression. Rembrandt quickly
achieved local success. He began to teach in 1628, nad his strong
personality continued to attract students and followers throughout his
entire career.

Early Amsterdam Years: 1632-1640

About 1632, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam. He remained there for the
rest of his life, except for a few short trips within The Netherlands. In
1634, he married Saskia van Uylenburg. They had four children, but only
one, Titus (1641-1668), survived infancy. In 1632, Rembrandt painted the
Anatomy Lesson of professor Tulp. This group portrait immediately
estabilished his reputation as the most fashionable portrait painter
in Amsterdam.

Rembrandt's paintings Blinding of Samson,
Donae and Rape of Ganymede show the exciting subjects he favored during
these years. They, like most of his other works during this period,
emphasize dramatic movement, emphatic gestures, sharp contrasts of light
and shadow, and striking color accents.

The Last Years: 1640-1669

Rembrandt's
most famous picture, The Night Watch, was painted in 1642. According to a
legend , the men who commissioned the portrait were not satisfied with it
and refused the painting because Rembrandt would not change it in any way.
Because he would not change to please public taste, the tale continues, he
soon lost patrons and friends and spent his last years penniless and in
total obscurity. However, evidence proves that Rembrandt received a high
price for The Night Watch, and that he continued to receive important public
and private commissions during the last years of his life. These commissions
included Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer, Portrait of Jan Six,
Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis, and The Syndics. However, tragedy did strike
Rembrandt in 1642 when his beloved wife, Saskia, died. Also, the mature
Rembrandt did not enjoy the wide popularity he had as a young painter.
Although he still ranked as one of his country's leading artists, he ran
short of money. The house he purchased in 1639 was too expensive.

Collected
works

Rembrandt
also collected works of art on a scale he could not afford. Most important,
he began to paint more and more for himself. His late majestic Biblical
paintings were not commissioned works. They were done to satisfy his own
inner needs. During this period, Rembrandt's art gained steadily in
spiritual depth and pictorial richness. His wonderful light now seemed to
glow from within his works. The shadows became more intense and vibrant. In
place of earlier sensational effects, his work shows solemn, restraint,
calmness, and tenderness. When man is represented, the thoughtful rather
than active side of his nature is stressed. Man with a Magnifying Glass, an
example from this period. Rembrandt's landscape etchings and drawings during
these years have an unmatched sense of space and fresh air. Rembrandt was
forced to declare bankruptcy in 1656. His house and possessions were sold at
auction in 1657 and 1658. But when he died on Oct. 4, 1669, he left his
surviving relatives a fairly large inheritance.